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Congressional Vote On Syria Must Be Decisive and Fully-Informed

Submitted by conservative_user on Tue, 09/03/2013 - 00:00

The Congressional vote on war with Syria must take place only after President Obama has provided Congress with all necessary information, and the decision by Congress should determine whether the U.S. goes to war, according to Peter J. Thomas, Chairman of The Conservative Caucus (TCC). “If the United States is to go to war with Syria over that nation’s use of chemical weapons, President Obama must make a compelling case on three points”, said Thomas. “First, he must show that preventing the use of such weapons is an important national interest of the United States. Second, he must prove that Syria has used such weapons. Third, he must demonstrate that he has a plan that will be effective in preventing further use of chemical weapons by Syria.” “Furthermore”, Thomas pointed out, “the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the sole authority to declare war. If Congress votes against war with Syria, the President must give up any plans for an illegal attack. Taking the United States to war without congressional authorization would be an impeachable offense, and Congress should make that clear during the debate over the Syria resolution.” Thomas emphasized that Congress must ask tough questions about the effectiveness of any proposed military action, and its long-term consequences. “An ineffective military action would be worse than no action at all. If the President intends nothing more than a face-saving gesture, then Congress has a duty to vote no.”